page_title: Same-sex marriage in Mexico
section_title: Actions of unconstitutionality
hierarchical_section_title: Same-sex marriage in Mexico / History / Actions of unconstitutionality
caption_attribution_description: Español: suprema corte de justicia de la nacion
context_page_description: In Mexico, only civil marriages are recognized by law, and all its proceedings fall under state legislation. By court order, all states in Mexico either allow the performance of same-sex marriages, or recognize such marriages when performed in other states. Same-sex marriage is performed in Mexico City and in the states of Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Colima, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla, Quintana Roo and San Luis Potosí, as well as in certain municipalities in Guerrero, Querétaro and Zacatecas. Altogether, 58% of the population live in states and municipalities that perform same-sex marriage. As of August 2020, legislation to change the laws covering same-sex marriage is currently under some degree of consideration in the states of México, Guerrero, Querétaro, Sinaloa, Tlaxcala and Yucatán. In addition, courts in all states must approve marriage licenses for same-sex couples when petitioned to do so; individual same-sex marriages have occurred in every state.
context_section_description: An "action of unconstitutionality" (Spanish: acción de inconstitucionalidad) is a lawsuit seeking to determine if a certain law is unconstitutional. In Mexico, they can only be filed within 30 days after the law has come into force. As many state marriage laws in Mexico are decades-old, LGBT groups cannot file an action of unconstitutionality against these laws. However, if these laws are modified by the state legislatures, then this qualifies for an action of unconstitutionality. For instance, in 2016, the Congress of Puebla modified its marriage laws, but left intact provisions outlawing same-sex marriages. LGBT groups quickly filed an action of unconstitutionality. Actions of unconstitutionality are reviewed by the full bench of the Mexican Supreme Court. The Court decides whether these laws are constitutional, and if they are not, they are struck down. Unlike the amparo and resolution processes described above, the action of unconstitutionality process is absolute. The states cannot ignore it.
  As of April 2019, five states (Aguascalientes, Chiapas, Jalisco, Nuevo León, and Puebla) have had their same-sex marriage bans struck down by the Supreme Court in such a way.
caption: The Mexican Supreme Court (Spanish: Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación) directly reviews actions of unconstitutionality.
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